1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a system and method for improving the flow rate accuracy of a fluidic delivery system.
2. Description of Related Art
Fluidic delivery devices have widespread use in the medical field with the use of implantable drug infusion delivery devices for delivering a drug or other fluid to the body at specified flow rates over time. The implantable drug infusion delivery device is generally programmed via a control unit disposed external to the body and in communication with the implantable drug infusion delivery device via a communication interface, preferably a wireless communication interface such as RF telemetry. There are many types of drug infusion delivery devices or pumps such as peristaltic, bellows, piston pumps. U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2007/0090321 A1 discloses one exemplary piston pump, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety.
With the advent of such technology, it is possible to program a specific drug profile over time to be dispensed or delivered from the implantable drug infusion delivery device. Such functionality may be used for dispensing a wide range of drugs such as pain medication or the delivery of insulin as well as many others. Despite the advantages associated with using an implantable drug infusion delivery device to automatically dispense a drug over time based on a programmed drug delivery profile, its efficacy depends on the ability of the implantable drug infusion delivery device to dispense the medication at a substantially constant flow rate on which the programmed drug delivery profile was based. Otherwise, if the flow rate of fluid dispensed by the drug infusion delivery device varies over time then the programmed drug delivery profile will result in either an underdosage or an overdosage. Any deviation in the drug dispensed may have unintended if not harmful, and in some cases life threatening, health effects for the patient.
It is therefore desirable to develop an improved system and method for stabilizing the flow rate of a fluidic delivery device over its lifetime and also to optimize the flow rate accuracy of a fluid delivered from a fluidic delivery device to compensate for one or more fluidic parameters that compromise the flow rate.